A little New Mexico town that is known for its history is now helping to shape the future.

Fort Sumner, New Mexico hasn’t made news since Billy the Kid was buried there in 1881 but it is back in the headlines today for it’s progressive use of digital technology in education.

High school students in Fort Sumner, New Mexico have been taking part in a digital trial of sorts. Microsoft has donated Zunes (their version of the iPod) to the school in hopes that it will help raise test scores.

How the heck can a Zune in the hands of a high school student help raise anything but the awareness of the latest Billboard hits?

Podcasts.

Teachers are getting help from tech savvy students deemed “Zunies” to create podcasts of lectures and study aids. Students have noted that the ability to rewind a lecture or a foreign language lesson has been very helpful and the remote learning option isn’t bad either.

If test scores do rise will kids soon be able to download a class instead of attending one? Online learning and interaction thru video chat, forums and messengers with information distributed via Podcasts and E-Books isn’t an unrealistic option. It already works for college.

Are physical books becoming the new CD’s? It seems like as a society our information is increasingly losing its physical mass. Will class information eventually be stored on a small MP3 player of sorts and backpacks become a thing of the past?

Old timers will say things like, “Remember the days when kids had to lug around these huge backpacks stuffed full of all kinds of books? There were news stories about back problems caused by them and everything. Wow that was so 20th century….”

This experiment will also provide great PR for Microsoft if test scores end up rising. Not only are they getting their product in the hands of high school kids and imprinting their brand but they are also doing it via a great cause: Education.

As for my 2 cents?

Obviously as a New Media fanatic I am all for podcasts and online learning and believe that one day it could help redefine what we now think of as “the classroom.”

I think this story proves that it already happening.

However, while the classroom may one day be a thing of the past, physical experience will (should) not. Ironically enough it was Ft. Sumner, New Mexico that helped me personally learn that back when I was 16 and visited Billy the Kids grave with my Dad.

No podcast, video or E-Book could ever replace that. So let’s not forget that while there are always going to be new ways to learn there will always be only one way to know.

Read the full article here.